“I knew full-well my sexuality wasn’t a phase, but I still assumed I’d end up with a man. Little did I know, the love of my life was waiting for me where I least expected her to be. ‘Will you go on a date with me?’ I’d given up on finding a soulmate. She was miles out of my league 一 the most perfect person alive. I was freaking terrified.”
‘WTF just happened?’ I ran to my best friend’s dorm, a complete mess. ‘Oh my God… I think I have a crush on Sumaya!’: Bisexual woman finds soulmate, ‘We’re exactly where we’re meant to be’
‘That looks intolerable. I can’t stand it.’ It looked like I’d been burnt in a fire. I quickly pulled my shirt sleeve down.’: Woman puts career on hold to heal psoriasis, find self-love
“I was oozing and bleeding. My co-worker said, ‘Are you doing something about it?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’m getting it treated once I finish our deadline first.’ She spoke the words I knew in my heart: ‘If I were you, I would go now. Health should be your priority.’ I left my rising career in a prestigious design firm in San Francisco.”
‘Why is my doctor calling me at 6:30 a.m?’ They made the decision I wasn’t having more kids.’: Mom reflects on cervical cancer journey, ‘It changed the way I think about life’
‘I needed the most invasive surgery. How do I explain any of this to my children? They were so small. All we could do was pray.”
‘Did you HEAR that, Amanda? Are you getting all of this? You need to listen.’ I was constantly taken out of the classroom.’: Deaf woman turned dental hygienist urges ‘fight for what you stand for’
“I was the only deaf student. The truth is, it killed me inside. When you are young and your peers see your hearing aids, they can be cruel as heck.”
‘I was 19 and diligently on birth control. My heart raced seeing those two lines. Shocked was an understatement.’: Young mom births 3 rainbow babies after multiple miscarriages, ‘Don’t give up, friend’
“At my first ultrasound, there was no little blinking heartbeat, no wiggling. I was told, ‘If you hadn’t taken the test so early, you wouldn’t have known.’ Like my baby wasn’t real. Sobbing, I told God I was done. My marriage was struggling. Then I heard the words, ‘Try again, and she will be perfect.'”
‘I felt sharp, throbbing pains on my ovaries. I was told this was ‘common’ in women. My body completely changed. I was terrified.’: Woman with PCOS details mental health journey, ‘I knew I had to take this seriously’
“As I continued to take deep breaths in and out with my eyes closed, I could feel the needle jiggle. I was terrified. The ‘why me’ took a toll on me emotionally. I was raising my daughter all alone with no financial help. I knew I had to be strong.”
‘I’ll never forget the comment she made: ‘You’re not you without your long, beautiful hair!’ I was deeply embarrassed.’: Bride with alopecia embraces baldness, ‘Hair does not define beauty’
“I was pitied and hid behind an uncomfortable wig every day, consumed with anxiety someone would find out my secret. One day, I decided I didn’t want to live in shame anymore. ‘Shave it all off,’ I told my husband. I wanted to live my truth.”
‘In between breaths, I sobbed, ‘Breathe, baby. Please. Please, breathe.’ They placed my tiny infant onto a gurney.’: Mom raises awareness about RSV, Kawasaki’s Disease after hospital scare
“For seven days, she was a medical mystery.”
‘My girlfriend gave me an ultimatum. ‘Either that has to go, or I do.’ I broke down in tears. I tried my hardest to stop, but the desire lingered on in secret.’: Male crossdresser outed at work details journey to ‘liberation’
“I got a text one morning from my best friend. It simply said, ‘Hey.’ I knew something was up. ‘Somebody at work discovered Sami and is spreading it around.’ I work with about 300-400 people. My heart sank down into my stomach.”